Sergei NAKARIAKOV, flugelhorn

At the age of 30, Sergei Nakariakov has already broken through more than a few of the perceived boundaries framing the world of the trumpet in classical music. Dubbed "The Paganini of the trumpet" by the Finnish press after a performance at the Korsholm Festival when he was only 13 years old, and in 1997 "Caruso of the Trumpet" by Musik und Theater, Sergei has developed a unique musical voice, which is, much more than a vehicle for astonishing virtuosity. His repertoire includes not only the entire range of original literature for the trumpet; but is continually expanding into broader territories, including many fascinating transcriptions, while he searches for ever new means of musical expression. At the same time, he has single-handedly brought the flugelhorn to prominence on the concert platform. His recent CD for Teldec - with whom he has recorded exclusively since he is 15 years old - is appropriately entitled, "NO LIMIT"; and includes performances with the Philharmonia, conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, of an extraordinary range of transcriptions of char acteristically romantic pieces by Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsy, Bruch, Massenet and Gershwin.
Born in Gorky in 1977, Sergei began to play the piano when he was very small, but moved on to the trumpet, after a spine injury in 1986 curtailed his piano studies. In the early years, his father tirelessly sought various trumpet teachers, with whom Sergei studied for various periods of time, however Sergei pays tribute to the technical and musical gifts he has learned from his father, Mikhail Nakariakov, who has transcribed a large repertoire of classical concertos for the trumpet - and with whom he studied daily from the very beginning, and since 1995 exclusively!
From the age of ten Sergei started to perform with orchestras in major concert halls of the Soviet Union. In 1988, one year later at the age of 11, he got a diploma at a brass competition for adults. His family made the decision to move to Israel in 1991 from where he started to travel and give concerts all over Europe. The same year, in 1991, he enjoyed great success at the Ivo Pogorelich Festival in Bad Worishofen and in August 1991 he made his debut together with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra at the Salzburg Festival. In 1992 Sergei was a guest at the “Schleswig - Holstein Musikfestival” where he was awarded the "Prix Davidoff" . Since then he has appeared in many of the worlds leading centers of music, including the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the Lincoln Center in New York, the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall in London. He performs in festivals in most European countries. He tours for several weeks each year in Japan and is becoming an increasingly f requent guest soloist in North America and Canada. He is collaborating with the world's most feted musicians, orchestras and conductors. His international touring schedule includes performances in the foremost concert series all over the world, both with orchestra and in recital - regularly accompanied by his sister Vera Nakariakova.
On Oct. 13. 2002 Sergei Nakariakov received the ECHO Klassik Award on ZDF as instrumentalist of the year from the German Phono-Academy.
On May 20. 2006 Sergei Nakariakov served as a member of the jury at the “BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006” competition at Newcastle Gateshead in England.
Sergei Nakariakov's discography with TELDEC CLASSICS INTERNATIONAL (WARNER) has drawn the most enthusiastic public and critical acclaim; and incorporates the most famous trumpet concertos as well as three recital albums of virtuoso music for trumpet by Bizet, Paganini, de Falla, Gershwin and Rimski-Korsakov. His "Elegie" recording, with pianist Vera Nakariakova, includes a selection of famous romantic works for voice and piano transcribed for trumpet and piano. "Concertos for Trumpet" features transcriptions for trumpet and flugelhorn of string concertos by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Hoffmeister. The French magazine: "Repertoire" gave it the highest classification: "R10 - Coup de foudre". "NO LIMIT" was awarded the RTL d'Or. "From Moskau with love…" with Russian Concertos was released worldwide in the fall 2001.
His most recent CD is “Echoes from the past”, with trumpet concertos originally written for bassoon and violoncello, written by Hummel, Mozart, Weber and Camille Saint-S!
aens.